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the obiquitous RaceFail post
Mar. 28th, 2009 08:54 pmI have not posting anything about RaceFail '09 because it's pretty obvious that I don't have anything new to contribute - any points that I have to make have already been made, more eloquently and by people with a hell of a lot more life experience.
However, it is becoming increasingly clear to me that my silence (anyone's silence) could be construed as disapproval of the whole discussion being brought up at all, or agreement with the people who are framing it some sort of hysterical witch-hunt targeting white fans and writers.
So. Growing up in Brookings, I learned to not really speak up when people were being racist, or sexist, homophobic, [insert hateful, systemic societal problem here]. I liked to think, at the time, that this was out of something like self-preservation. It was not. It was out of cowardice and fear. Recognizing that now does not fix it. The situations where I could have offered a dissonant voice of sanity are gone, and regretting my teenage passive-aggressive silence does not help anything unless I channel that guilt into doing something positive now. I am making a promise to myself to be a better ally, to speak up more, to confront things when they happen.
When that conversation with Jacen happened (that I quoted a few posts ago), I was basically speechless. All I did was gape and look really uncomfortable, while my mom interjected, "Now...that's not politically correct!". Fuck that. I should have told him that what he said was racist and inappropriate. I need to make sure that next time it happens, I'm ready to do more than just wilt and glare.
However, it is becoming increasingly clear to me that my silence (anyone's silence) could be construed as disapproval of the whole discussion being brought up at all, or agreement with the people who are framing it some sort of hysterical witch-hunt targeting white fans and writers.
So. Growing up in Brookings, I learned to not really speak up when people were being racist, or sexist, homophobic, [insert hateful, systemic societal problem here]. I liked to think, at the time, that this was out of something like self-preservation. It was not. It was out of cowardice and fear. Recognizing that now does not fix it. The situations where I could have offered a dissonant voice of sanity are gone, and regretting my teenage passive-aggressive silence does not help anything unless I channel that guilt into doing something positive now. I am making a promise to myself to be a better ally, to speak up more, to confront things when they happen.
When that conversation with Jacen happened (that I quoted a few posts ago), I was basically speechless. All I did was gape and look really uncomfortable, while my mom interjected, "Now...that's not politically correct!". Fuck that. I should have told him that what he said was racist and inappropriate. I need to make sure that next time it happens, I'm ready to do more than just wilt and glare.
